The decisions made by human resource management professionals directly affect the level of care, the profits and the ratings of health care organizations. The human resource managers are responsible for hiring and maintaining staffing levels of both clinical and nonclinical employees. Through their efforts, direct services to patients are adequately filled or left weakened. The success of the organization relies on timely staffing to accommodate patient needs, coupled with the ability of HR to work within budgets set by the board of directors or owners of the organization.

Maintains Appropriate Staff Levels

The needs of each unit within the organization change regularly, and it’s up to human resources to keep up with patient flow, staff schedules and operating hours to hire appropriate staff members and keep a direct line open to on-call employees to fill emergency needs. HR managers develop close ties with department heads to keep accurate patient counts and staffing needs updated. They work closely with marketing representatives to ensure the facility is staffed to meet growing patient rolls as a result of promotions and advertising. The success of a health care organization is jeopardized when patients show up and there aren’t enough staff members to take care of them.

Works Within Budget Parameters

Health care facilities rely on human resource managers to stick to budgets and funding levels while meeting the needs of the patients. The balancing act required by HR management directly impacts the profitability and quality of care provided by the organization. Hiring, training and retention all fall under the purview of human resources. Stockholders and owners rely on human resource professionals to meet the organization's obligations to the community and its patients while reducing costs and improving profits.

Improves Quality of Care

Successful health care organizations provide exceptional care to their patients. Working within budget restraints, human resource managers strive to attract top talent and retain experienced staff members. Rolling out incentives based on performance is one way human resource administrators achieve their goals and keep the organization successful in all areas. Another measure of success in a health care environment is the retention of current staff that improves with HR initiatives such as wellness campaigns, paid on-site continuing education opportunities and incentives for quality staff referrals.

Ensures Quality Training of Staff

The composition of the staff is a vital component of achieving maximum success. Each department and shift must employ sufficient professionals and support personnel to meet the needs of the population while keeping costs down. In-house training and quality support for working staff members can help an organization succeed. When experienced staff members receive additional training in specialties or earn additional certifications, they can perform more duties, meaning HR doesn’t have to bring in extra staff. The cost of training typically is lower than the costs associated with recruiting, hiring and training new staff members. As with every other component of the HR responsibilities, training current staff versus hiring credentialed new employees is another balancing act managed by successful HR professionals.

About the Author

Linda Ray is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years reporting experience. She's covered business for newspapers and magazines, including the "Greenville News," "Success Magazine" and "American City Business Journals." Ray holds a journalism degree and teaches writing, career development and an FDIC course called "Money Smart."